Friday, September 22, 2006

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1941)

Ten years after Rouben Mamoulian's acclaimed adaptation of the story, MGM had got its hands on the Paramount Picture and all but blotted the film from existence. This stylish 1941 remake plunders the first film for plot, but lacks its progenitor's sophistication. The former had deep theological and philosophical ruminations on the nature of sin and evil; this version chops most of that out and throws in some pseudo-Freudian imagery to compensate.

Still, it's a watchable film. Spencer Tracy has his moments as Hyde - indeed, I've always found Tracy's Hyde more visually effective than March's, although perhaps I'm the exception. Ingrid Bergman is more than a match for Miriam Hopkins as Ivy, the pretty young girl whom Jekyll's devilish alter-ego victimizes. She is stunningly filmed by Joseph Ruttenberg's camera, and brings to the role the same sense of vulnerability and terror that Hopkins had before her.

Franz Waxman's score is a little disappointing, especially the plodding motif in the transformation scenes. Nevertheless, the film boasts some splendid images, especially once Hyde is on the run through a fogbound London.

My rating? * * * * * (4/5)

A few more stills:

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